The New York Giants are relying on a 32-year-old veteran to fix their biggest problem from last season. Defensive tackle DJ Reader is expected to hold down the interior of the defensive line and help improve one of the NFL's worst run defenses. It's a season-altering issue that is somehow flying under the radar as Week 1 rapidly approaches.
ESPN's Ben Solak noted how important Reader could be this year, though. He named the veteran Big Blue's biggest X factor for the upcoming season.
Solak said, "How many snaps does Reader have in him at his age, and can he achieve more impact against the run in a new defensive system in New York? Without a renaissance Reader season, I'm worried that we'll see another season in which the Giants' defense is too easy to run on for its pass rush to really matter."
Giants desperately need DJ Reader to outperform expectations in 2026
Last season, the Giants allowed the second-most rushing yards per game in the NFL, averaging 145.3 yards allowed. They allowed the highest EPA per rush attempt by a wide margin and one of the league's worst early-down success rates.
As Solak mentioned, the lack of run defense on early downs minimized the impact of one of the NFL's most dangerous pass rushes.
New York's answer? Trade away Dexter Lawrence II and replace him with a 32-year-old coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.
Of course, the additions of Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese at linebacker should make a sizable difference. But the run defense will start with Reader's ability to fill gaps on the interior.
The veteran has built a career from stuffing the run, but his last two seasons have shown a bit of regression. He's posted the two lowest PFF run defense grades of his career and has only totaled 27 run stops across the last two years.
He can still be impactful, but there's a reason he was still available in May.
Reader will start on the interior, with Shelby Harris and Darius Alexander playing important roles next to him.
The Giants are expecting Reader to return to his prime. If he does, the run defense could be solid enough to give pass rushers like Abdul Carter and Brian Burns more chances to wreck games. But if the veteran fails to meet expectations, New York's run defense could be just as weak as it was in 2025.
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